Tribute of RIK to the promotion of religious tourism in Sotira (VIDEO)

The Municipality of Sotira undertook action to promote religious tourism, aiming, to a large extent, at the Russian Market.

A substantial gap in the history of art and architecture of Medieval Cyprus seeks to fill the University of Cyprus with the research program "The Church of the Transfiguration in Sotira Famagusta and its contexts".

The research was submitted and approved for funding under the research programs of the Anastasios Leventis Foundation.

In statements to RIK, Mayor Sotiras, Mr. George Takkas stated that “this group is nine members and international and includes teachers from Germany, Greece and Italy and the goal will be after two years and after the study is completed to reach a scientific volume on the history, architecture and frescoes of the Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior ”.

The study and research of this temple and its extremely important frescoes aspires to make this monument known to the local and international scientific community.

The Elder George Ioannou, making a flashback to history, said that in the area was another early Christian church of the 4th century, which was destroyed by Arab invasions. In the area of ​​the Early Christian basilica, the Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior was rebuilt in the 10th century by the Byzantine general Nikiforos Fokas. The building, as it survives today, is the product of a series of interventions in the original core.

According to the camera of RIK, the First Elder George Ioannou "in the 10th century a brave general of Byzantium, Nikiforos Fokas who later became emperor, with a brave admiral, Nikitas Halkousis, expelled the Arabs from Cyprus and our island in the Byzantine Empire. The inhabitants, then, built this temple that we see on the ruins. ”

Exquisite 13th century frescoes have been unearthed in the Temple, which strongly reflect the imperial art of Constantinople interwoven with the crusade art of the same period.

Regarding the frescoes, the Elder George Ioannou states that “26 years ago a workshop of the Department of Antiquities came to the church to make some repairs and in the fresco that is now Apostolos Barnabas, quite by chance, a piece of the wall and fan fell letters "EPIFAN…" and it was immediately ascertained that there was a previous fresco of Agios Epiphanios. "

In the context of highlighting the historical and archaeological wealth of the Savior, the Municipality will soon proceed with excavations in the "Monuments of the Greeks", west of the beach "Sirens".

According to Mayor Sotiras, "the tombs date back to the Greco-Roman era, so there is a huge history that we want to highlight and contribute to the promotion and knowledge of the history of the place."

This action aims at enriching our tourism product and promoting religious tourism since, as the Mayor stated, it has become clear that Russian tourists are showing interest in the rich historical heritage of the region.

Source: Eleftheria Sofroniou / RIK

SotiraNews